Fundraising Dinner Volunteers Wanted

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Do you love helping small nonprofit organizations with great missions working with youth? Are you available on September 10th to help with a fundraising dinner?

Great! The Youth Suicide Prevention Program has an immediate need for volunteers to help with our 6 th annual dinner and auction benefit that will take place on September 10 th at the Center for Urban Horticulture, 3501 NE 41st St, Seattle, WA 98195. With your help, this fundraising event will support suicide prevention programs across Washington State.

Volunteer positions available (See below for full descriptions of each):
Decorating and Set-up -- 6
Live Auction Spotters -- 4
Baggers -- 3
Greeters -- 4
Raffle Ticket Sellers -- 4
Recorders -- 2
Registration & Data Entry -- 8
Runners -- 3
Take-Down -- All the help we can get

Please note:

• You can volunteer for multiple roles

• All volunteers must be over 18yrs, unless accompanied by a volunteering parent or guardian.
• Time commitment varies by position, but all event volunteers will need to be able to attend an hour long mandatory training on Wednesday, September 3 rd 6-7p, in the Green Lake area, and registration volunteers will need to attend a mandatory training on September 3 rd from 7-8 p.m.
• Volunteers are expected to work the entire shiftthat the role demands.

To volunteer, please complete the online application: http://tinyurl.com/n4qm4ah

With the exception of Registration and Data-entry volunteers, who will need to stay in that role all night, volunteers may volunteer for more than one role. Volunteer roles include:

• Decorating and Set-up Committee:For creative people, those who pay attention to detail, and enjoy making displays marketable and enticing for guests. Duties include:
  1. Meet to decide on decorations and displays for the event
  2. Help plan display and dcor layouts for the day of, including event signage, guest table displays, and
  3. Arrive at the venue at 2:00 pmon the day of the event to set-up and decorate
  4. Potentially help shop for/gather decorating and event materials (YSPP will reimburse for all expenses)
     
     Committee members are expected to meet on Saturday, September 6th, at the YSPP office to help with printing and creating of postage board displays, and to gather up decorations to take over to the venue.

1. Greeters: Four outside greeters. You will greet the guests with a smile at the two entrances, welcome them to the venue, and guide them on where to go. Must have amazing interpersonal skills, and be patient and kind with people of all types. The two greeters at the entrance into the event will guide guests to registration, point out coat check, and answer other questions about the auction.
   
   Two shifts of greeters will be needed:
   
   Shift 1: Greeters will be needed to greet guests as they arrive and help them get acquainted with the auction lay out. Point them in the direction of registration and coat check.
   
   Shift 2: Greeters will say good-bye and "thank you for attending" to guests, help guests carry large items to their cars if needed. Assist elderly guests to their cars if needed. If you have one, bring an umbrella with you. A greeter should also be positioned near the item-pick up area to assist guests with large items or items that need to be carried to guest cars.

• Coat Check: 2 volunteers needed. You will keep coats organized on hangers, welcome guests with a smile, and ensure the tags you give them match the ones on their coat hangers.
  
  Shift 1: Greet guests, take their coats and hang them up, give them corresponding coat check number, anddirect guests to the closest bathrooms and the registration area (if needed). Coat checkers will have an event catalog to help them direct guests.
  
  Shift 2: Return coats to guests. Thank guests for coming. Return numbers to appropriate place, tidy up room, etc.

• Registration & Data Entry: for computer-friendly people who understand databases and customer service. These volunteers are expected to attend a Salesforce training on Wednesday, September 3rd, from 6:45pm-7:45pm at YSPP’s office located at: 444 NE Ravenna Blvd, Suite 202, Seattle, WA 98115. 4 volunteers will be needed at the computers to check-in and check-out guests and enter winning bids. The check-in process will include gather guests’ credit card numbers, and possibly entering any guest information (address, phone number, etc.) into the database. 4 volunteers will be needed to locate and handout bidder packets to guests. These 4 volunteers will only be needed during the check-in process and may volunteer for other roles later in the evening.

• Recorders: for fast writers and focused listeners. You will listen to the auctioneer, record the bid numbers and items bought during the live auction.

• Runners & Displayers: 3 Runners are needed to take live auction paperwork (filled out by recorders) to data entry. When running bid sheets from the recorder table (near the stage) to data entry, a relay system should be set up. This will involve planning a pathway that is out of view of guests. The live auction lead will help you with this.

• Live Auction Spotters: 3 needed. Spotters help communicate bids to the recorders during the live auction. This is a very important task! Spotters will welcome guests to their tables when they arrive in the dining area and introduce themselves. During the live auction, when an item is up for bid, spotters will indicate where a bidder is by holding up a pom-pom (exact item will be given at orientation). Spotters will be spread out in the dining area and be in charge of a handful of tables. Spotters should operate with a three-foot rule to respect guests’ personal space when asking a person to bid or to bid again. There are cases where you'll have a fun-loving guest; in those cases, have fun with them. Use your judgment. Spotters should thank every bidder after an item is sold, whether or not that bidder was successful in winning. We cannot raise money without their help! Be positive, jovial and enthusiastic in your verbal and non-verbal actions. The most important rule for a spotter is to have fun! If disputes or problems arise, volunteer spotters shouldn't try to fix the problem. Excuse yourself from the person. Find the live auction lead and explain the problem.

• Baggers: 3 needed. as guests leave the live auction toward the end of the night, they will want their items together with a receipt. Baggers will ensure that guests’ bags are tidy and in numerical order and that all their items that they won are in the bag. Baggers will also receive receipts from data entry to give to guests, and will thank guests for coming. For any disputes on items, baggers will write notes, and inform the guests that YSPP staff will follow up with them.
  
  
• Raffle Ticket Sellers: 4 needed. For people-persons. You use your extrovert personality to sell as many raffle tickets as possible to guests. You’ll learn all the details of the raffle items to entice guests to purchase them.
  
  

• Take Down: When the event is over, YSPP staff need help loading both small and big items into their cars. You will use your muscle and strength to help pack and load items. Must be able to lift up to 20 lbs.

To volunteer, please complete the online volunteer application: http://tinyurl.com/n4qm4ah

Background Information about the organization:
In 1995, Youth Suicide Prevention Program began under the Washington State Department of Health at the University of Washington’s School of Nursing; then, became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 2000. Our mission is to reduce youth suicide attempts and deaths in Washington State. We work towards this goal by providing programs and services to raise public awareness, facilitating trainings, and supporting communities in action to confront the issues of suicide and self-violence. With your help, this fundraising event will support suicide prevention programs across Washington State. In addition to helping our youth, volunteers will gain experience in fundraising, events. Food and beverages will be provided to you on the night of the event. Volunteers will also have the opportunity to bid on auction items, such as a Holland America Cruise, a San Juan Yacht Cruise, or a trip to Roatan.

For information about the event, visit: http://www.yspp.org/benefit2014/.

Thank you in advance for helping us save lives through suicide prevention training.